Major boost for hydrogen as UK unlocks new investment and jobs
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Eleven new production projects will invest around £400 million up
front over the next 3 years, growing the UK’s green economy more
than 700 jobs to be created, representing the largest number of
commercial scale green hydrogen production projects announced at
once anywhere in Europe new certainty for industry as government
sets out hydrogen ambitions, including future production, transport
and storage rounds Over 700 jobs will be created across the UK in
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Eleven new production projects will invest around £400 million up front over the next 3 years, growing the UK’s green economy more than 700 jobs to be created, representing the largest number of commercial scale green hydrogen production projects announced at once anywhere in Europe new certainty for industry as government sets out hydrogen ambitions, including future production, transport and storage rounds Over 700 jobs will be created across the UK in a world-leading hydrogen industry from the South West of England to the Highlands of Scotland, backed by £2 billion in government funding over the next 15 years. Energy Security Secretary Claire Coutinho today (Thursday 14 December) announced backing for 11 major projects to produce green hydrogen – through a process known as electrolysis – and confirmed suppliers will receive a guaranteed price from the government for the clean energy they supply. This represents the largest number of commercial scale green hydrogen production projects announced at once anywhere in Europe, helping to place the country at the forefront of this emerging industry. Unlike blue hydrogen, which is formed using fossil fuels and capturing the carbon emissions, green hydrogen is made by using renewable energy to split water – helping provide cleaner fuel for energy intensive industries and transport. In return for this government support, the successful projects will invest over £400 million in the next 3 years, generating more than 700 jobs in local communities across the UK and delivering 125MW of new hydrogen for businesses including:
Energy Security Secretary Claire Coutinho said: Hydrogen presents a massive economic opportunity for the UK, unlocking over 12,000 jobs and up to £11 billion of investment by 2030. Today’s announcement represents the largest number of commercial scale green hydrogen production projects announced at once anywhere in Europe. These 11 major new hydrogen projects across the UK will create over 700 jobs and deliver new opportunities from Plymouth in England to Cromarty in Scotland. Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance Lord Callanan said: Today’s funding commitment represents a monumental step forward in helping producers to deliver a fuel of the future today, backing businesses to go greener. This will be essential to achieving our net zero targets, and will benefit people across the UK with the job and investment opportunities that this funding will bring. And we’re not stopping there with a new, second round of funding now available for producers to apply for, so they can develop the next round of projects and build on this success. Today’s funding represents the most significant step in scaling up the UK’s hydrogen economy to date – speeding up progress towards the government’s ambition to deploy up to 10GW low carbon production capacity by 2030. Ministers have also today opened a new second round of funding that companies can apply for to support their projects and published a production roadmap, which sets out the government’s plan for future allocation rounds in 2025 and 2026. This includes ambitious plans to boost hydrogen capacity up to 1.5GW across these rounds, and award funding to projects to help deliver up to 4GW of CCUS-enabled, or blue, hydrogen and 6GW of green hydrogen by 2030 - giving businesses the confidence they need to invest in the UK. Ministers have also announced their decision to support hydrogen blending in certain scenarios – subject to an assessment of safety evidence and final agreement. Currently, less than 1% of the gas in distribution networks is hydrogen. Under proposals, hydrogen could be blended with other gases in the network as an offtaker of last resort, working to reduce costs in the hydrogen sector by helping producers, and to support the wider energy system. Hydrogen blending may help achieve the UK’s net zero ambitions, but would have a limited and temporary role as the UK moves away from the use of natural gas. Ministers have decided not to proceed with a hydrogen trial in Redcar, as the main source of hydrogen will not be available. The government recognises the potential role of hydrogen in home heating and will assess evidence from the neighbourhood trial in Fife, as well as similar schemes across Europe, to decide in 2026 whether and how hydrogen could help households in the journey to net zero. Notes to editors See the list of the successful projects from the government’s first Hydrogen Allocation Round. Find further information on the government’s second Hydrogen Allocation Round, which opens today Read the government response to the hydrogen blending consultation and strategic policy decision. The government has published a consultation on the need for a business model to support using hydrogen to generate power, helping to decarbonise the power sector by 2035. The vision for hydrogen transport and storage sets out the intention to launch the first allocation rounds for government support next year to help this infrastructure off the ground, and ambition to support up to two storage projects at scale and linked pipelines to be in construction or operation by 2030 A Hydrogen Strategy Delivery Update reports on the government’s progress since the publication of the UK Hydrogen Strategy in 2021, and includes an updated UK hydrogen economy roadmap and delivery timeline to 2035.
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